Bumped by Megan McCafferty

In a world where the Human Sterility Virus (HSV) causes nearly everyone to become sterile after the age of 18, teenage pregnancy becomes both necessary AND trendy. It’s pretty disturbing to think of a world in which teenage girls are basically pimped out as incubators, but McCafferty manages to keep the tone light and funny overall. I especially enjoyed the “FunBumps” (complete with moving “babies” inside) and the t-shirts for tweens that proclaimed they were “Born to Breed.” Some people have accused this book of glorifying teenage pregnancy, but I think they got it completely wrong. If anything, this book derides our culture’s current obsession with teen pregnancy. Shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, while reportedly intending to show the harsh reality of teen pregnancy, have actually resulted in the glamorization of teen pregnancy. Need proof? How about news stories about pregnancy pacts, girls trying to get pregnant to get on the show, and the surge in popularity of the names “Maci” and “Bentley” (the names of a featured teen mom and her son).

Beyond the insanity of HSV and teen pregnancy for hire, there is a whole extra level of complexity with twin sisters (Melody and Harmony) who were separated at birth and reunited as teens. Harmony was raised in Goodside, a highly religious gated community in Pennsylvania, where she was raised with the singular goal of being a good wife and mother. Melody grew up in a “normal” community in New Jersey, where she was given every advantage toward the end goals of attending the best college and bringing in a large amount of money as a surrogate. I cannot even begin to describe how awkward it is when Harmony comes to town to try and “save” Melody from her life of sin, but I can assure you that the questions raised by this book will stick with you long after you put it down.